Senior Essay: Richard Hill

When I look back on my four years here on the Harvard
men’s squash team, I cannot help but feel nostalgic. I can
remember all the matches that I played here, from the most painful
defeats to the best victories. However, what I will truly cherish
is the time that I spent with my teammates. What I will always
remember will be the times we, as a team, spent together whether
during training, on the road, or during matches.

My most important lessons at Harvard came from my teammates. They
taught me how to improve my game. They inspired me to overcome
adversity under immense pressure. Lastly, they showed me that
Harvard squash was about being part of a team, of a family and of
something truly special. All these lessons could not have been
taught in a classroom on a blackboard. I believe you best absorb
these lessons when you unselfishly strive for the greater good of
the team and your teammates.

Being a student-athlete is never an easy undertaking. One has to
constantly balance one’s sport commitments with one’s
academic work and social life without compromising one over the
others. My time on the squash team was never a smooth ride. There
were many ups and downs. There were times when I felt burnt out,
times when I questioned my own desire to compete and win. What kept
me going was my own love for this beautiful game which has taken me
very far in life. What kept me going was the desire to not let my
teammates down. What kept me going was the passion that all my
teammates showed for our sport.

My college experience at Harvard has been a truly rewarding and
fulfilling one because of my teammates. It saddens me that I am
leaving the Harvard squash team, but the Harvard squash team will
never leave me. It will always be a special part of my life,
because long after the silver on the trophies has rusted away and
long after the awards have collected dust, all that will be left
will be a lifetime of memories and of friendships forged by my time
on the squash team and with my teammates. Those memories and
friendships are the greatest gifts that the Harvard squash team has
given to me, and I will always be grateful. I have won as many
times as I have lost. I have failed as many times as I have
succeeded. Yet, at the end of it all, I have no regrets and I wish
future Harvard students my kind of success.